Report: Nonprofits should step up support for diverse board members
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Nonprofit boards should do more to help leaders of color participate in their organizations' strategic mission, per a new report from an Austin-based group that examines race and nonprofits.
Why it matters: In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, many nonprofits added diverse board members — but that's only half a step to producing better outcomes for the communities those boards serve, according to the report from The New Philanthropists.
What they found: Only half of board members of color interviewed by the report's authors felt confident meeting their board's fundraising expectations. (The report observes that board members of color often do not enjoy established wealth networks.)
- Some participants reported being "treated as unpaid staff rather than strategic partners," the report's authors note, leading to "burnout and disengagement."
What they're saying: Board inclusion should "not just be a version of tokenism, but what lenses have you walked the world through that would help us serve the community we're serving," Denisha Jenkins, executive director of The New Philanthropists, tells Axios.
What's next: The report suggests nonprofit organizations establish clear expectations of board members, build pathways to leadership and invest in coaching, especially on fundraising, legal responsibilities and financial oversight.
The bottom line: "Bringing talented leaders of color into the boardroom is only the first step," Alex Cantu, a mentor for board members of color at the New Philanthropists, said in a statement. "If we want them to contribute fully and ultimately step into positions of greater leadership, boards have to be intentional about onboarding, mentorship, skill-building, and creating genuine opportunities to lead.
- "That investment doesn't just benefit individual board members; it makes our organizations stronger and our governance better," Cantu said.